1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of product dispensers and bulk packed cartridges for stocking them. More particularly, the invention pertains to product dispensers that open bulk packed cartridges for rolling products during stocking.
2. Description of Related Art
A dispenser with a cartridge containing multiple rolling product packages, Bauer (U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,747, for example), accommodates a variety of different bulk packed product shipping cartons [henceforth referred to as “cartridge(s)”] with a variety of can counts or arrangements packed therein. As shown in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2, it is often desirable to stack cans two or more wide in the cartridge 10 in its shipping orientation (with the cans vertical therein), or one or more rows (lower row 1, upper row 2) high in the “at use” position (when the cartridge 10 is inside the dispenser 20 as shown in prior art FIGS. 4-18). In some prior art examples, a cartridge may contain a single row of rolling product packages. In some of these prior art examples, the row may comprise, for examples, a single row cartridge may comprise a single row of six individual rolling products. In other prior art examples, a cartridge may contain a single row of six stacks of rolling products, such that, for example a cartridge containing twenty-four rolling products may comprise six stacks wherein each stack comprises four rolling products that may be nested to act as a single rolling product. In other prior art examples, a cartridge may comprise two or more rows of products, with each row comprising a number of individual rolling products, or a number of stacks of rolling products and the stacks may be nested or unnested.
The configuration most commonly known to the public is a cartridge 10 for canned soda and other carbonated beverages comprising four rows of six cans each. Alternatively, for example, in cartridges 10 containing cat food cans known in the prior art, the cartridge may comprise a one or more rows of rolling products, with each row comprising nested stacks of two or more cat food cans. Generally almost any product packed in cans, bottles, or other configuration capable of rolling can be so packaged in one or more rows. This is also true for stacks of nested cans, as shown in prior art FIG. 3, where each nested stack (lower row 1 and upper row 2) functions the same as if it was a single can.
One skilled in the art of dispensers 20 and bulk shipping cartridges 10 will therefore appreciate that the operation of dispensers 20 and cartridges 10 described herein applies equally to one or more rows of single cans, stacks of nested cans, and any packaging configuration of one or more rows of product packages that are capable of rolling.
Henceforth, “can” or “cans” includes, but is not limited to, a conventional metal can or cans, a stack of nested cans, stacks of nested cans, and any other packaging form that is capable of rolling. Such bulk shipping cartridges 10 and associated dispensers 20 are more flexible for retailers or brand marketers and assist with the efficient management of their supply chains and sales.
Referring to prior art FIGS. 4-11, a dispenser 20 is shown with a cartridge 10 holding area 24, an entry port 45 that is aligned with a cartridge dispensing port 20a (shown in FIG. 5), a down chute 30, a lower feed ramp 40, and a cartridge loading ramp 35. When a pre-filled bulk packed cartridge 10 is inserted into the cartridge holding area 24 (FIG. 4) of completely empty matching dispenser 20, such as shown in prior art FIGS. 4-11, products (cans in lower row 1 and upper row 2) generally load and feed through the dispenser 20, and are dispensed to shoppers according to design expectations. Prior art FIG. 4 shows a prior art cartridge 10 being loaded into a prior art dispenser 20 cartridge holding area 24 after a dispensing port (not shown in this figure, see FIG. 5, reference 20a has been made in the bottom of the cartridge 10 adjacent to the rear-most edge of the cartridge 10 to allow cans to exit the cartridge 10 through the dispensing port 20a and the entry port 45.
A sequence of events after loading is shown in prior art FIGS. 5-11 in detail. Starting with prior art FIG. 5, wherein the dispensing port20a of a cartridge 20 that has been fully inserted into a dispenser 10 is aligned with the entry port 45, the first four cans 1, 2, 3, 4 that exit the cartridge 10 during feeding into the dispenser 20 are critical to the proper operation of the cartridge 10 and dispenser 20 system. It has been found that, after these first four cans 1, 2, 3, 4, exit the cartridge 10 the balance of cans in the cartridge 10 have sufficient room to move inside the cartridge 10 so that no jamming occurs thereafter. The exiting of these first four cans 1, 2, 3, 4, no matter the size or weight of the cans, therefore determines the efficient and reliable feeding of all the cans from the cartridge 10 through the dispensing port20a and into and through the dispenser 20 to a product selection location 25 where they can be selected by the consumer.
Referring again to prior art FIG. 5, immediately after the cartridge 10 is loaded into the dispenser 20 and the dispensing port20a is aligned with the entry port 45, can 1 is free to exit the cartridge 10, drop vertically downward through the dispensing port 20a and the entry port 45, roll along the down chute 30, and then roll along the lower feed ramp 40 to the product selection area 25. Similarly, as shown in prior art FIG. 6, can 2 is generally free to also follow can 1, falling vertically downward inside the cartridge 10, through the dispensing port 20a and entry port 45, into the dispenser 20, and then rolling to the product selection area 25.
However, experience has shown that successful feeding of cans 3, 4 is largely due to the impacts and vibrations caused by the first cans 1, 2 transiting the dispenser 20. Impacts and vibrations dislodge products lodged in the cartridge 10 or stuck in between the dispenser down chute 30 and loading ramp 35, or behind another can, as illustrated in prior art FIGS. 7, 8, and 10 for example. Thus, reliable dispenser 20 feeding is more a matter of chance rather than a result of a truly functional dispenser 20/cartridge 10/can 1, 2, 3, 4 interaction.
As shown in prior art FIGS. 7-8, after cans 1 and 2 exit the cartridge 10, cans 3 and 4 may be positioned such that they cause a feed jam. While the impact of cans 1 and 2 with the down chute 30 (prior art FIG. 7), or the product selection area 25 (prior art FIG. 8) may cause sufficient vibration in the dispenser 20 to dislodge the feed jam, this is by no means guaranteed and is not always the case. However, assuming such impacts do occur and free can 4 (prior art FIG. 9), can 4 is then free to roll along the down chute 30 to the product selection area 25, and can 3 may follow suit (prior art FIG. 10), followed by the rest of the cans in the cartridge 10 until the dispenser 20 is full of product (prior art FIG. 11).
Prior art FIGS. 12-18 show the partially filled dispenser 20 of prior art FIGS. 4-11 during a restocking operation. When restocking the dispenser 20 by inserting a new cartridge 10 full of cans into the cartridge holding area 24 when the lower feed ramp 40 is not empty, there is insufficient can 1, 2, 3, 4 movement to cause dislodging impacts and vibrations. The sequence of events in this circumstance is similar to the events, illustrated in prior art FIGS. 5-8, that occur when filling an empty dispenser 20.
Prior art FIG. 12 shows a full cartridge 10 being inserted into the cartridge holding area 24 of a dispenser 20 that remains partially filled with previously loaded cans. Immediately after inserting the cartridge 10 and the dispensing port 20a is aligned with the entry port 45 (prior art FIG. 13), can 1 is free to move through dispensing port 20a, through the entry port 45, and roll along the down chute 30, but only until it contacts the rearmost previously loaded can in the lower channel. As shown in prior art FIG. 14, can 2 drops immediately down behind can 1, and can 4 is biased to roll over can 3. This restocking situation thus shortens the distance cans 1 and 2 move in the dispenser, which significantly reduces the previously described impacts and vibrations. As shown in prior art FIG. 15, when a can is removed from the product selection area 25, can 1 and can 2 move along the down chute 30, with can 4 biased to follow by rolling over the top of can 3. At this point, shown in prior art FIGS. 15-16, can 3 and can 4 are in a position that may potentially result in a jam. While the cans remaining in the dispenser 20 lower feed ramp 40 may still be selected, the jam (prior art FIG. 17) prevents product movement from the cartridge 10 through the dispensing port 20a and entry port 45.
As a result of this sequence of events, products tend to jam either inside the cartridge 10 prior to exiting the entry port 45, as shown in prior art FIGS. 12-17, or within the down chute 30 of the dispenser (prior art FIG. 18), depending on the various relationships between the entry port 45 size, the can diameter, the down chute 30 configuration, and other factors. Such jams are unacceptable because dispensing cans to shoppers becomes unreliable and increases, rather than decreases, the manual labor and time needed to maintain the system, as presently occurs with similar prior art dispensers in stores.
Additionally, for a dispenser which displays and dispenses rolling product packages to be stocked/loaded, or restocked/reloaded, using bulk packed cartridges 10 of generally cylindrical products, the cartridges 10 must be both easy and safe to open and load into the dispensers 20. In order to effectively reduce stocking/restocking time and labor, this process must also be accomplished quickly.
Prior art cartridges 10 employ a simple tear tab and removable flap opening that is removed by the stocking person prior to define a dispensing port 20a prior to loading the cartridge 10 into the dispenser 20. However, in order to load the cartridge 10 into the dispenser 20, the cartridge 10 must be inverted after removing the flap, so that the open dispensing port 20a is in the downward and a rearward facing position.
When the opened cartridge 10 is in the inverted position, products simply fall out the dispensing port 20a if the stocking person does not hold their hand over the dispensing port 20a during cartridge 10 inversion and insertion. This necessary action by the stock person is clumsy, difficult, and danger prone in busy commercial environments. If the stock person forgets to cover the opening, or their hand slips off the opening, the least that may happen is that products will fall out of the cartridge 10 and onto the floor, denting them and rendering them unsalable. However, heavy canned products may also fall out of the cartridge 10 and hit the stock person, causing injury. This possibility is especially of concern if the cartridge 10 is being lifted into an overhead dispenser 20, from which a falling can could hit the stock person in the head. Further, neat, rapid, and efficient displaying, dispensing, and restocking devices and methods encourage retailers to perform restocking during the business day. During business hours, when shoppers are present, stocking and restocking mishaps represent a hazard that could also endanger a shopper or child, which is a liability concern that retailers obviously desire to avoid.